The present disclosure relates generally to the field of drilling and processing of wells, and, more particularly, to a tubular engaging device and method for using the tubular engaging device.
In conventional oil and gas operations, a well is typically drilled to a desired depth with a drill string, which includes drillpipe, drill collars and a bottom hole drilling assembly. The drill string may be turned by a rotary table and kelly assembly or by a top drive. A top drive typically includes a quill, which is a short length of pipe that couples with the upper end of the drill string, and one or more motors configured to turn the quill. The top drive is typically suspended from a traveling block above the rig floor so that it may be raised and lowered throughout drilling operations.
In conventional operations, to add a length of tubular (e.g., drillpipe or drill collar) to the drill string, an elevator is coupled with the tubular to facilitate hoisting the tubular from the rig floor. The tubular is aligned with the drill string and lowered onto the drill string. An iron roughneck at the rig floor may be used to rotate the tubular and attach the tubular to the drill string. However, it is now recognized that using an iron roughneck to add each new length of tubular to the drill string may be time consuming and expensive. Accordingly, it is now recognized that there exists a need for a device and method for connecting tubulars to drill strings without the use of an iron roughneck.